Ahead of Saturday’s league match at home to Stourbridge (3:00 KO), manager Tim Flowers has looked at the fixture, the opposition and our last home match. He starts with a look back at last weekend’s game…
We come into this game off the back of the Kettering match – a 1-0 defeat where, yet again, it’s a game we should have gotten something from. I thought, for the first half, we were second best for the most of it. We did have one or two opportunities but the lion share of the play was with Kettering. We made a lot of errors out of possession, in terms of our structure and decision making.
Ultimately, right on half time, in terms of our set piece discipline, the player who scores isn’t marked and it’s a poor goal to concede, from a poor angle. It came from an attacking throw in, near their six yard box, and 10 seconds later, we’re conceding a free kick, which they score from.
It was massively disappointing, but the reaction second half was admirable. I’m hoping it’s not this syndrome of being one down which means we then play but we looked a good side at times – we mixed it up, played long and short, went through them, played over them, round them, and created two or three very good chances – we have to be taking at least one or two of them and subsequently take at least a point from the game but we don’t.
It’s that usual sob story which, somehow, I’ve got to find a way to turn it around and convert these opportunities into actual points – it’s something that I’m trying everything to do and something that I’ll continue to do.
Stourbridge have had some very good results of late; none more so than their derby victory last week at Halesowen, so they’ll be buoyed by that. They’ve recruited quite heavily in the last few months and brought some very good players in, some of which came from us. They’ve brought players in who have obvious quality and know the division. I’m fully aware of the quality they’ll bring to the game and clearly, plenty of them will be wanting to do well against us.
We can only bother about ourselves though – we’ve got to go out and put on a performance, one that is mistake-free. We have to do our jobs and remember the structure that we’re playing to – if we do that, we have players that can hurt the opposition.
Kian Ryley came in last week from Solihull Moors – he hadn’t played for four or five weeks and played a full 90 on Saturday, so he’ll have come on a lot for that. He’s a very good player and I’m delighted that Solihull have allowed him to come – and I thank them for that.
Kyle Belmonte made his debut for us too last weekend, on loan from Worcester – he showed real touches of quality and I look forward to seeing more of him in a Bromsgrove shirt.
I’ve been speaking to names this week – whether any of those drop in or become available, I don’t know, but I’ll be spending today trying to get something over the line. We also have some injured players who might filter back in.
We’ve got a squad that has to attack these final nine games and get us enough points on the board to keep us in this division – and that’s what everybody at the club is pushing for.
The home support last time out against Sudbury was incredible – the atmosphere and scenes at the end was like we were at the other end of the league. It was massively appreciated by me, the staff and the players – it’s a huge bonus for us when you get that kind of backing.
We’ve got to give the supporters something to get behind, and we did in that second half. In these remaining games, the support will play a huge part in helping our lads over the line – I thank them for that, and I ask them for more of that on Saturday!
